Government spending by function in Hungary

Hungary: Government spending by function was 24.9% in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
24.9%
Change on year
down 7.2%
World rank
35th
of 37 countries
All-time high
35.7%
in 2009
All-time low
24.9%
in 2023
Years of data
17
2007–2023

Government spending by function in Hungary, 2007–2023

0102030402007201520232007: 34.5 % of government expenditure2008: 35.6 % of government expenditure2009: 35.7 % of government expenditure2010: 35.3 % of government expenditure2011: 34.4 % of government expenditure2012: 33.8 % of government expenditure2013: 32.8 % of government expenditure2014: 30.6 % of government expenditure2015: 28.9 % of government expenditure2016: 30.3 % of government expenditure2017: 29.3 % of government expenditure2018: 28.4 % of government expenditure2019: 27.4 % of government expenditure2020: 26.2 % of government expenditure2021: 27 % of government expenditure2022: 26.8 % of government expenditure2023: 24.9 % of government expenditure

Source: OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of government expenditure.

Analysis

Hungary recorded 24.9% for government spending by function in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 17 years on record.

That represents a change of down 7.2% on the previous year and down 24.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government spending by function in Hungary peaked at 35.7% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 24.9%, in 2023.

That places Hungary 35th out of 37 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 17 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 35.3% 34.5% 35.7% 3
2010s 31.1% 27.4% 35.3% 10
2020s 26.2% 24.9% 27.0% 4

Countries ranked near Hungary

  1. 32 South Korea 26.2% compare
  2. 33 Costa Rica 26.1% compare
  3. 34 Colombia 25.1% compare
  4. 36 Iceland 23.9% compare
  5. 37 United States 20.2% compare

See the full ranking of 37 places →

More reference data data for Hungary

All data for Hungary →

Frequently asked questions

What is government spending by function in Hungary?
Government spending by function in Hungary was 24.9% in 2023, according to OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest government spending by function recorded in Hungary?
The highest recorded value was 35.7% in 2009.
What is the lowest government spending by function recorded in Hungary?
The lowest recorded value was 24.9% in 2023.
How does Hungary rank for government spending by function?
Hungary ranks 35th out of 37 countries with data for 2023.
Is government spending by function rising or falling in Hungary?
Over the last ten years it is down 24.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Hungary data come from?
The figures come from OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Government spending by function. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Government spending by function
Unit
% of government expenditure
Source
OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
37 places, 618 data points, 2007–2024
Last refreshed

General government expenditure on social protection. This data is divided by total government expenditure, expressed as a percentage.